The authentic Mexican food is reason enough to attend the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration hosted by St. George Catholic Church, but it's the spirit of community and generosity that guests won't be able to get enough of.

Everyone is welcome at the free festival, says Rita Cohen, coordinator in charge of the event and a member of the St. George parish. The event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the corner of 200 North and 200 West in downtown St. George.

Daniel Zambada and his band are scheduled to perform, as is DJ Tony. Folkloric dancers and Flamenco dancers will take the stage. There will also be bounce houses and a water slide for the kids.

Fiesta is a community affair

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Julie Martinez and the Ballet Folklorico y Latino perform the La Negra, a dance that originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco, at the Cinco De Mayo Fiesta at the St. George Catholic Church in this file photo.(Photo: The Spectrum & Daily News file photo)

Local restaurants and parish members are donating time, money, labor and skills to make sure it's a fiesta fantástica. Cohen shared only a few of the contributions:

Alvaro's is also donating drinks and helping the church buy the needed amount of meat at a discount.

A member said she would provide everything necessary to make and sell churros if the church would provide oil, according to Cohen.

Volunteers also will be cooking the food, selling and collecting tickets and overseeing the kids' activities.

Cohen said the celebration is "a lot of work, as always, but fun." She credited the success of the event, which she said has been held yearly for about three decades, to the hard work of so many volunteers.

A lot of food for a lot of people

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People gather under the shade of tents to eat and watch dancers perform at the Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday, May 2, 2015. Those who couldn’t find seats in the shade meandered around playing the many games offered during the event or sat where they could.(Photo: Therresa Worthington / The Spectrum & Daily News)

Cinco de Mayo is a popular event in St. George. When you consider there are about 2,100 families in the parish and that people from outside the church attend as well, it adds up to a lot of attendees. Cohen and Rose Thomas, also of the parish, estimate that between 350 and 500 people at a time are at the festival throughout the day.

But Cohen and Teresa Loya, who is in charge of the food, are ready for them.

Some of the food will be from restaurants, but most of it will be prepared by parish volunteers, Cohen said.

Attendees can buy tickets that can be used to get food and drinks, including aguas frescas. Come prepared, however, because only cash will be accepted. Prices range from $1 for water to $7 for a plate of rice, beans and carne asada. Tacos and other a la cart items will be $2. Tamales will be sold for about $20 per dozen, and take-out plates will be available for those who want to take some of the delicious food home with them.

Tickets can also be purchased for the bounce houses and water slide. (Don't forget your bathing suits!)

Proceeds from food and activity sales go toward religious education and other parish needs. The Cinco de Mayo festival is the church's sole fundraising event each year.

Dealing with Ironman road closures

Ironman 70.3 St. George is also being held in St. George on Saturday. Dozens of roads are closed, requiring people to plan ahead if they want to make it to the fiesta. But the race affects the Cinco de Mayo celebration positively, Thomas said.

She explained that many Ironman participants and spectators come to the party after the race to eat.

Attendees should take care where they park so as to avoid a ticket. Cohen said people can park in the empty lot near the church as well as in the parking lot of the Senior Citizens Center nearby at 245 N. 200 West.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

May 5 commemorates a battle that happened in 1862. Invading French troops were approaching a Mexican town named Puebla when Mexican forces fought them off, despite being outnumbered two to one. The Mexicans were victorious, and the battle became a symbol of the resistance to French imperialism.

Nowadays, Cinco de Mayo is a bigger holiday in the United States than in Mexico.

If you go

Cinco de Mayo celebration

What: St. George Catholic Church is hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration with food, music, dancers, a water slide and bounce houses. Everyone is invited.

Where: Corner of 200 North and 200 West, St. George. Attendees can park in the empty lot or at the St. George Utah Senior Citizen Center.